You’ll know them from their hits like ‘Latch’ with Sam Smith, ‘Magnets’ with Lorde, and more dance-inducing singles that the Disclosure brothers have blessed the world with in recent years. Having released three full-length albums and three EP’s (all while they’re still in their twenties), the duo know a thing or two about making amazing music.
Growing up with musical parents, brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence were exposed to genres like rock, classical, and funk from childhood. Moving into their teens the brothers studied music and music technology, as they explored everything from dubstep to indie to hip hop. It didn’t take long before their electro house tracks posted on MySpace garnered the attention of records executives which then lead to their cataclysmic rise to fame .
As we near the arrival of Disclosure’s third studio album ‘Energy’ set for release on August 28th, we take a look back at the talented duos’ body of work (excluding EP’s and stand-alone singles, for all intents and purposes) while delving into what we know so far about ‘Energy’.
Settle (2013)
After building hype through DJ sets and singles, Disclosure’s debut ‘Settle’ was an unprecedented success. After making waves with their debut single ‘Latch’ featuring Sam Smith, the brothers recount playing 57 festivals sets one year in addition to their heavy schedule of live shows and DJ sets. After grinding hard and growing their reach over two years, they got a call from Interscope Records co-founder, Jimmy Iovine, who told them he wanted to make “Latch’ the biggest song of the Summer’. The rest is history.
While ‘Latch’ catapulted both Sam Smith and Disclosure’s careers, the duo quickly proved they were not one-hit-wonders as they took over the UK singles charts through the commercial success of tracks like ‘White Noise’ (with AlunaGeorge), the smooth ‘You & Me (with Eliza Doolittle), house hit ‘When A Fire Starts to Burn’, and the melodic ‘Help Me Lose My Mind’ (with London Grammar).
‘Settle’ became an international success, going triple platinum in the US while ‘Latch’ smashed singles charts across the globe. Among its many accolades, most notably the album was nominated for Best Dance/Electronica album at the 2014 Grammys, securing Disclosure as one of the best dance acts in the world.
Caracal (2015)
Two years after ‘Settle’ came the sophomore album ‘Caracal’. Moving away from the heavy UK garage influence that defined ‘Settle’ and embracing their newfound US audience and commercial success, ‘Caracal’ slowed down the BPM’s and tapped the shoulders of top tier R n B, soul, and Jazz vocalists to create some melodic house grooves. Once again strong in the features section, ‘Caracal’ was host to soulful and danceable collaborations with the likes of Lorde, The Weeknd, Miguel, and more.
Following in the footsteps of their debut, ‘Caracal’ hit number one on the UK Album Charts and received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronica album in 2016, further progressing their career.
Following the ‘Caracal’ album cycle, at the beginning of 2017 the duo announced they would be entering a year-long hiatus to take some time out to rest, sharing in a handwritten note on Twitter that “We were 15 and 18 when we began this incredible journey. It’s been filled with shows bigger and better than our childhood minds could ever have imagined”.
— Disclosure (@disclosure) February 8, 2017
Coming Soon: Energy (2020)
While it’s not with us yet, the hype for ‘Energy’ is real. Five years on from the success of ‘Caracal’, fans have been teased with a plethora of different sounds through a mixture of singles and remixes. Announcing they were stepping back in the studio in 2018 to start working on their next album as well as culling the track list down to 11 tracks from 200, you know ‘Energy’ is going to be the best of the best.
After the album announcement back in May, fans got a taste of what was to come with the release of title track ‘Energy’ that features motivational speaker Eric Thomas – you may remember him from their earlier hit ‘When A Fire Starts to Burn’.
“He has an immense presence and energy about him that translates so well into music – especially house music,” Disclosure said in a statement. “What he says is basically the whole concept for the record, that’s why it became the title track.”
And it makes for a great taste test. The aptly titled ‘Energy’ is full of tribal percussions, futuristic synths and led with inspirational samples – Eric Thomas preaching ‘where your focus goes, your energy flows’ on the build-up. The sound of ‘Energy’ feels revived, refreshing, and will put a spring in your step.
Their latest album is only 39 minutes long, making it the duo’s shortest but ‘most direct’ album yet. Choosing ‘Energy’ as the title track was a conscious decision, the brothers describing it as ‘one of those weathervane tracks’ that set the standard for the rest of the record.
The tracklist has been released and is nothing short of big names in true Disclosure fashion. With names like Kelis, Slowthai, Kehlani, Syd, Aminé, and more on features, it’s safe to say there will be plenty of R n B and Hip Hop influence on this record.
Jack & Howard are also known for being vocal about important issues such as climate change and are putting their money where their mouth is. In an impressive feat, they’re making all physical copies (CD & Cassette) of ‘Energy’ hard plastic-free while the vinyl copies ‘utilises re-granulated PVC pellets in which to press the vinyl (with no loss of audio quality), a fully 100% recycled Bargesse board derived from sugarcane for the sleeve and shrink-wrapped in a sustainable sugarcane-based plastic’.
‘Energy’ will be released on August 28th 2020.
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